Feed-regulator.



.I. WOODWARD.

FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MA'R.Z4, I914.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET] coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. WOODWARD.

FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION men MAR.24. 1914.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 wi tmeoow COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COUWASHINOTON n. c:

pairs r FEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented @ct. 5,1915.

Application filed March 24,1914. Serial No. 826,962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osjcrn l/VooDw RD, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Feed-Regulators, of'whlch the following is a specification. p

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in feed regulators.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient device to regulate the delivery of ink, paste, powder or, like substances to impression and depositing machines.

It is particularly applicable to printing presses for the purpose of preventing the feed of ink from the fountain when the platen is not set for an impression.

Other important and incidental ob ects will be brought out in the following specification and particularly set forth in the sub joined claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aside elevation of my improved feed regulator applied to. a printing press. Fig. 2 is a section on the line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line bb of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line oc of Fig. 1, showing in detail the double pawl and retaining pawl.

Throughout thespecification and drawings, similar reference characters denote corresponding parts.

In a detailed description of invention, 1 designates the bed of a printing press through which extends a horizontal plunger 2 adapted to be engaged by a platen 3. By means of a coil spring a connecting it to the bed 1, the plunger 2 is returned to its normal position after being depressed by the platen 3. o

The plunger 2 is connected to another horizontal plunger 5 by the following means. Carried by the inner end of the plunger 2 is an adjusting screw 6 which is received by an elongated slot 7 provided in the enlarged end 8 of the plunger 5. By loosening the screw 6 and moving it through the slot 7, theplungers 2 and 5 may be adjustably connected together, and when firmly joined, they act as one plunger fora purpose which will now be explained.

Secured to an angle bracket 9 supported by thebed 1 of the machine, are housings lO 10 in which a slide 11 is vertically movable.

Provided in the lower end of the slide 11 is it a vertically disposed slot 1-2 in which is pivoted a roller 13. The plunger 5 extends through the slot 12, and secured to the bottom. side of said plunger is a metallic piece 1% having a beveled end 15 adapted toengage and override said roller. l/Vhen the plunger 2 is forced inwardly by the platen 3, the plunger 5 will also be moved inwardly to carry the metallic member 1% over the roller 13, whereupon the latter will be forced downwardly, since the plunger 5 is held from an upward movement by a guide 16 through which it extends (see Figs. 1 and i). l/Vhen the roller 13 is forced clownwardly, it will draw with it the slide 11 for a purpose now to be explained.

Secured to the top of the slide 11 is a laterally extending shoe or supporting member 17 having a curved end 18 upon which rests one nose portion 19 of a double pawl 20.

The other nose portion 21 of said pawl is adapted to engage and rotate a ratchet wheel 22 secured to an ink fountain roller shaft 28 (see Figs. 1 and Normally, the shoe 17 is held in an elevated position by a coil spring 2 1 attached to a supporting arm 25 extending outwardly from the bed 1. lvVhen theshoe 17is-inits raised position, the nose portion 19 of the pawl 20 will also be. elevated by the curved end 18 of said shoe, to hold the other nose portion 21 of said pawl above the ratchet wheel 22, or, in

other words, out of engagement with the,

latter.

In order that my improvedfeed regulator may be clearly understood, it is necessary that the meansprovided for rotating the ink roller shaft 23 be explained. Fast on a rotating shaft 26 is a cam 27, on the periphery of which rests a roller-28 pivotally secured .to afollower 29 fulcrumed on a shaft 30. This follower 29 has provided in one end an elongated mouth portion 31 which receives a pin 32 carried by one arm 33 of a bell crank lever 34: loosely pivoted on the roller shaft 23. Secured to the other arm 35 of said bell crank l ver is a shaft '36 which pivotally supports the double pawls 20 in such a manner that the nose portions 19 and 21 thereof will straddle the arm of said bell crank lever 3st. The roller end of the follower 29 carries a weight 37 whereby, when the said roller 28 enters a concave por tion of the periphery of the cam 27, the

7 lowermost position.

weighted end-of the follower 29 will descend to force the other end upwardly,

whereupon the bell crank lever arm 35 will move the pawl 20 toward the arm 25 "as the pin 82 carried by the arm 33 is moved upwardly by the mouth portion 31 of said follower. When the pawl 20 is thus moved, the nose portion 19 thereof will ride idly over the curved end 18 of the shoe- 17, while the nose portion 21 of said pawl will move over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22w1tnout engaging them. But when the roller 28 is forced upwardly by the concave portion 38015 the periphery of said cam 27, the pawl 20 will be moved downwardly by the bell crank lever 3A, whereupon the nose portion 21 of said pawl will engage a tooth of the .ratchet'wheel 22- to rotate the latter, and

through it the ink roller shaft 23, until the roller 28 leaves the concave portion 38 of the periphery of said cam. By means of a spring 39, which is supported by the arm 35 and presses against the pawl 20, the nose portion 19 of said pawl is maintained in continuous engagement with the curved end {18 of the shoe 17, while the nose portion' 1 is pressed into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22 when said shoe 1S'1I1 its It is eminently desirable that the ink roller shaft 28 be prevented from rotating when the platen 3 is not set for an impression. As is Well known in the printing art,

when an impression is not being made, the

platen will not strike the impression means. Acc0rdingly,.the plunger 2 extends only a sufficient distance beyond the bed 1' so as not to be engaged by the platen?) when the latter is prevented from receiving an impression.

As before stated, the spring 2A normally holds the shoe 17 in such an elevated position that the nose portion 21 of the double pawl 20 cannot engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22, but instead, the nose porplunger 2 will be engaged by the platen. 3, as the outer end of said plunger 13 in the path of the platens movement when the latter isset for an impression. As the plunger 2 is forced inwardly by the platen 3, the plunger 5 will also be pushed inwardly, to cause the beveled end '15 of the metallic member 1A to ride over and force downwardly the roller 13, whereupon the slide 11 will be drawn downwardly against the tension of the spring 2A and" carry with it theshoe 17 upon which the nose portion 19 of the pawl 20 rests. As the shoe 17 ,descends, the nose portions 19 and 21, under pressure of the spring 39, will also descend, to cause the nose portion 21 to engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 22 and rotate the latter whenever the bell crank arm 35 is moved away from the supporting arm 25. @n the reverse movement of said bell crank arm 35, the nose portion 21 of said pawl will be moved clear of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22 to its startingposition. It will now be observed that the shaft will only.

be rotated by the ratchet wheel 22 when the shoe 17 is in its lowermost position, which is the position itoccupies when the plunger 2 is fully engaged by the platen 3. H

In order to lock or hold down the shoe'17 'until the nose portion 2110f the pawl 20 has positively engaged. a tooth'of the ratchet wheel 22, a retaming pawl AQ 1S provided. The retaining pawl 40001111311363 anelongated member having a right angled por- A0 may be movedover and away from the shoe 17 at the proper times, the following means are provided. W hen the shoe'17 descends, the shoulder portion A2 of said retaining pawl willbe drawn over it by'a coil spring AA, one end of which being secured to said pawl and the other to the angle bracket 9. To release the shoulder )ortion A2 from engagement with the shoe 1 there is secured to the hub A5 of the bell crank lever 3A a cam segment A6 which has an outwardly tapering end portion A7. Pro vided on the retainmgpawl A0 is a pro ec tion A8 having a curved end A9 which is adapted to be engaged and moved outwardly by the end portion A7 of the cam segment Afiwhenever the bell crank arm 35 starts to move toward the supporting arm 25. lhe

retaining pawl A0 is thus moved outwardly to disengage its shoulder portion A2 from the shoe 17, to permit the spring 2A to elevate the said shoe as hereinbefore described. It is to be understood thatmy improved feed regulator will be operative'without the retaining pawl A0, but in cases where the path of movement of the pawl 20 is short,such a device is desirable to lock down the shoe 17 until thereis a positive engagement between the nose portion 21 of said pawl 20 and the teeth of: the ratchet wheel 22. p

The operation of my improved feed regulator is apparent from the foregoing description. As has been'observed, it is positive in its movement, and permits'the ink roller shaft 23 to berotated only whent-he platen 3 strikes the plunger 2, or during an impression operation, At all other times the ink roller shaft 23 is prevented from ro- .tation, due to the nose portion 21 of the pawl 20 being held out of engagement with modifications may be made therein to suit I different conditions of use.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a feed regulator, a rotating member, a ratchet wheel secured to said member, a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel, actuating mechanism to which said pawl is pivotally connected, said actuating mechanism adapted to intermittently rotate the ratchet wheel through said pawl, vertically movable means to lift and hold said pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel without disturbing the movement of said actuating mechanism, a platen, and a laterally movable device adapted to be engaged by said platen, to force downwardly the vertically movable means and thereby permit the pawl to descend and engage the ratchet wheel, substantially as described. I

2. In a feed regulator, a rotating member, a ratchet wheel secured tosaid member, a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel, actuating mechanism to which said pawl is pivotally connected, said actuating mecha nism adapted to intermittently rotate the ratchet wheel by means of said pawl, a vertically movable member, resilient means for elevating said member, means carried by said member to lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel when the vertically movable member is elevated, without disturbing the movement of said actuating mechanism, a platen, and a laterally movable device adapted to be engaged by said platen, to force the vertically movable member downwardly, against the tension of said resilient means, and thereby permit the pawl to descend and engage the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

8. In a feed regulator, a shaft, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, a pawl, cam operated mechanism to which said pawl is pivotally secured, said pawl having two projecting portions, one projecting portion adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and rotate the latter when the pawl is moved by the cam operated mechanism, a vertically -movable member, a shoe carried by the top portion of said member,the other projecting portion of said pawl resting on said shoe, resilient means for elevating said shoe and vertically movable member, to lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel without disturbing the movement of the cam-operated mechanism, a curved device secured to the lower end of said vertically g movable member, and a laterally movable plunger, saidplunger being movable over the curved device to force the latter downwardly, whereby the vertically movable:

anember and shoe may be drawn downwardly thereby, to permit the first named progecting portion of said pawl to descend into engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

4. In a feed regulator, a shaft, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, a pawl, a camoperated arm to which said pawl is pivotally secured, a vertical slide, a shoe carried by the top portion of said slide, said pawl having two nose portions, one nose portion thereof adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and rotate the latter when the pawl is moved forwardly by said arm, the other nose portion of said pawl resting upon said shoe, a spring for elevating said shoe to hold the first named nose portion of the pawl above the ratchet wheel, a roller carried by the lower end of said slide, and a laterally mov able plunger, said plunger having a beveled portion movable over said roller, to force the latter downwardly, whereby the slide and shoe will be drawn downwardly against the tension of said spring, to permit the first named nose portion of said pawl to descend into engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a feed regulatoiya shaft, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, a pawl, a camoperated arm to which said pawl is pivotally secured, a vertical slide, a shoe carried by the top portion of said slide, said pawl having two nose portions which straddle said cam-operated arm, one nose portion adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and rotate the latter when the pawl is moved forwardly by said arm, the'other nose portion of said pawl being movable upon said shoe, a spring for elevating said shoe and slide, said shoe adapted, when elevated, to carry upwardly its respective nose portion of the pawl, whereupon the other nose portion of said pawl will be lifted above the ratchet wheel, a roller carried by the lower end of said slide, a laterally movable plunger, a beveled piece secured to said plunger, said plunger adapted to carry the beveled piece over said roller to force the latter downwardly, whereupon said slide and shoe will be drawn downwardly by said roller against the tension of said spring, and resilient means for forcing the first named nose portion of said ratchet wheel through said pawl, a vertical slide, resilient means for elevating said slide,

' a member carried by said slide to lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel when said slide is'elevated, a laterally movable plunger for forcing downwardly Copies of this patent may be obtained for said slide, said slide adapted to draw downwardly with it the pawl lifting member, and a retaining pawl in operative connec tion with said actuating mechanism, to engage and hold the pawl lifting member in its lowermost position until the first named pawl has engaged the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 21st day of March, 1914.

JOSEPH WOODWARD.

Witnesses:

WVALTER V. SNYDER, HOWARD S. SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 6. 

